Forever More
by Thistleface
Summary: Forever More is the tale about the Graceling known as Lady Katsa Cristiana, niece of the king of the kingdom of Middluns, Randa. Ever since Po had lost his sight, he and Lady Katsa have made their own Kingdom, Destrian. Now, Katsa has found her long lost brother, Merek, and they must journey to find the person who will make the Kingdom of Destrian fall.


**Hey everyone! I know your used to seeing me writing Warrior books, but this is a fanfiction of the book** _Graceling_ **by Kristin Cashore. All names are mine except for Katsa, Po, and Bitterblue. All rights reserved. Anyway, read and review!**

Forever More

The Story of Katsa Cristiana

_**Chapter One**_

"Merek!" Katsa cried. Silver tears streamed down her rosy cheeks. Her ashen blonde hair was plastered to her neck and face from the rain that poured down through the boughs of the trees. "Oh, Saradomin, save him!"

Katsa watched as her brother tumbled down a rocky cliff. Merek's horse, Krea- a black thoroughbred that stood at fifteen point two hands high, churned in the air behind him, letting out screeches as the beast followed him down.

Katsa's blue eyes followed their falling bodies until they crashed into the roaring river below. She jumped to her feet and raced to her white Quarter horse, Cassius, who stood at fifteen point six hands high.

She struggled to climb onto his back, but when she was finally seated in her saddle, she propelled her horse forward. Soon, they were flying along the edge of the cliff at breakneck speed, desperately trying to catch up with Merek who writhed in the churning water below.

Katsa kept an eye on Merek while searching the waters for the large, dark shape that would be Krea. She caught a glimpse of the mare's head a few yards away from Merek.

Katsa prayed to Saradomin in her mind that she would give her whole kingdom of Destrian if He saved her brother.

As soon as the steep cliff turned into a gentle slope, she urged Cassius towards the assailing water. Katsa hopped off Cassius and dug through her saddlebags in hopes of finding a long length of rope. At last, she found one.

Urgently and hastily, she tied one end of the rope around the trunk of a sturdy pine tree that was near the river. Tying the other end around her waist, she cautiously waded out into the quickly moving water.

"Merek!" She yelled. "Grab Krea's bridle and make your way to me!"

She prayed to Saradomin that Merek had heard her. Merek appeared around a large rock that stuck out of the water, his hands attached to Krea. Katsa could tell in the way that Merek desperately pushed through the water that his energy was depleting. Fast.

Katsa struggled against the current to stay standing. The rope was extended fully and it groaned against the force of her in the water. Even though she stood only five feet away from the bank, the water was up to her waist.

She stared at Merek as he slowly, gradually made his way to her. Katsa heard roaring in her ears and she looked up the river to where the cliffs rose up to form a gorge. Water crashed against the side of the cliffs as it tumbled and ripped through the hair, steadily gaining speed as it careened towards them. Her eyes grew wide.

"Hurry!" she screeched. She extended her arms as far as they would go. She pulled against the rope to try and get closer to Merek and Krea. The rain pummeled Katsa and Cassius, pouring down from tremendous, grey storm clouds, soaking Katsa down to her bones.

Lightening flashed across the sky, striking a tree near by. The tree roared into flames, spooking Cassius. The beast took off, galloping towards the boarder of Destrian and Dimia.

"Great hills," Katsa muttered under her breath. The water hurtled closer to them and Katsa feared she wouldn't be able to save her brother. Her tears had dried by now for adrenaline was pumping through her veins.

Merek was only two feet away from her extended fingers when the water crashed down on the two of them. Water and blackness surrounded Katsa and she struggled to find her way towards air. The rope remained tied against her waist, keeping her from being swept downstream. The water pushed her down, flipping her and tussling her in the water. Her back hit rock and she cried out in pain.

She felt fingers clasp around her hands. A moment later, her arm was tugged, almost being pulled out of her socked. Finding her feet on the bottom, she propelled herself upwards.

As soon as her head broke the surface, Katsa gulped in large amounts of air. Merek came up beside her, spluttering out water. Krea, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Katsa pulled herself along the rope with Merek clinging to the back of her robe. They made it to the pine, which the water was touching.

Throwing himself on the ground, Merek thanked Saradomin and kissed the needles that lay on the forest floor. Meanwhile, Katsa had untied the rope and started to walk towards Dimia.

"Come, Merek," she said. "We must find Cassius and ride back to Brom City."

Merek groaned and drug himself to his feet. "Fine, sister. But who shall I ride for Krea has gone?"

Katsa scoffed. "Krea hasn't gone. She's drowned. We must get you another. Maybe one that has the looks the feel of Krea."

"But it would never be Krea, sister," Merek argued.

Katsa spun on him. "Great hills, child, don't you understand? Krea will never come home; we must ride to Brom City. There we will get you another."

Merek blew out his cheeks and let out a long sigh. "Fine, sister."

Katsa gave him a curt nod before spinning on her heels and taking off in the direction Cassius ran. She slipped on the wet grass, but got up every time she fell. She wanted to get to her horse before any poachers did.

Every now and then, she called out his name and whistle, hoping that he would come running up to her from out of the woods. Her heart fell a little farther after each shout and whistle and there was no horse to appear.

Merek went off into the woods a few times, trying to see if he could find him, but he reported back to Katsa that he couldn't find anything.

Worry for her horse started to grow and she took off, faster than she had ever gone, even faster than when she took Bitterblue through the mountains, faster than when she had to hide in demand of Po. She left Merek in the dust.

**So? What did you think? I thought it was pretty good. :)**


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